


Family?

by CarrieStillLovesYou



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alive!James Potter, Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Evil Lockheart, F/F, F/M, Good Malfoys, Good Severus Snape, Lockheart gives Ginny TMR diary, Lockheart is and idiot, Lockheart nearly kills everyone twice, Lucius Malfoy: Spy Extraordinaire, M/M, Mpreg, Parselmouth!James Potter, Parseltounge, Regulus Black Crossdresser? Sorta? He goes into hiding as Narcissa (at least in public), Regulus Black Lives, Regulus Black has a dirty sense of humor, Severitus sorta
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-16
Updated: 2015-04-03
Packaged: 2018-03-18 03:10:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3553853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarrieStillLovesYou/pseuds/CarrieStillLovesYou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus Snape-Potter sat down at the head table with the rest of the staff, eyes straying to his children, and then his godchildren. Noticing the way (almost) all of the children in the great hall were looking at him he laughed and shook his head. He could almost hear James laughing about the priceless faces on the students. With a smile Severus began buttering his roll, sparing a glance at Minerva McGonagall. </p><p>"I do wish you luck dealing with not only Harry and Ascella but now Eileen, Corvus, and Lyra, pity you, having to deal with the marauders second coming," he laughed as Minerva's face paled as she realized just how many marauder progeny she had in her house.</p><p>"Dear Merlin, save us all," she muttered her face as pale as the Bloody Barren. </p><p>Albus Dumbledore smiled with a twinkle in his eye and said, "My, yes, I do believe it will be a fun year," his eyes were full of mirth. "Yes, a very fun year indeed,"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Surprises Indeed

**Chapter 1**

**Surprises Indeed**

 

It was an average sorting at Hogwarts, Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall stood next to a stool, scroll in hand, and the four houses sat in watch, waiting for the first years to be sorted. With pursed lips she announced the first name.

 

"Black, Corvus!"

 

A small boy walked to the stool. He looked uneasy. His eyes were bright amber, and his hair fell in midnight coils around a pale heart shaped face. He had scars running through the left side of his bottom lip, and bandages on his fingers. As the sorting hat was placed on his head he closed his eyes.

 

"GRYFFINDOR!" Was joyously called out by the sorting hat, amber eyes opened and he walked to the Gryffindor table without applause, the scrutiny of thousands of eyes following him.

 

 

"Black, Lyra!" McGonagall called, and a girl with tied back mousy brown hair and icy blue eyes walked to the stool. Her hands were similarly bandaged and scars ran down the right side of her face, running through her eyelid, but without damaging her eye. Her gaze, though somber, held mischief.

 

 

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat called and the girl joined her brother at the Gryffindor table. As soon as she was settled the hall broke out in whispers. Glares and sneers met the first years, and an older girl smiled sadly at them. By the look of it they were related, the older girl having amber eyes like the boy, and a straight pointed nose like the girl. She also had scars; hers ran diagonally through her left cheek.

 

"Blake, Susan!" McGonagall announced over the chatter of the hall.

 

"RAVENCLAW!"

 

“Creevy, Colin!”

 

“GRYFFINDOR!”

 

“Dottkins, Erma!”

 

“HUFFLEPUFF”

 

“Dyllworth, Barker!”

 

“RAVENCLAW!”

 

“Feldman, Roland!”

 

“RAVENCLAW!”

 

“Fischer, Jacob!”

 

“GRYFFINDOR!”

 

“Garvis, Eloise!”

 

“SLYTHERIN!”

 

“Greengrass, Astoria!”

 

“SLYTHERIN!”

 

“James, Ethan!”

 

“SLYTHERIN!”

 

“Kyler, Matilda!”

 

“SLYTHERIN!”

 

“Lovegood, Luna!”

 

“RAVENCLAW!”

 

“McKenzie, Hope!”

 

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

 

“Moore, Erwin!”

 

“GRYFFINDOR!”

 

“Normand, Nora!”

 

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

 

“O’Brian, Connor!”

 

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

 

“O’Myers, Niahm!”

 

“RAVENCLAW!”

 

“Ollivander, Jacques!”

 

“RAVENCLAW!”

 

“Ollivander, Oscar!”

 

“SLYTHERIN!”

 

“Parkinson, Rose!”

 

“SLYTHERIN!”

 

“Parsons, Jonah!”

 

“GRYFFINDOR!”

 

"Potter, Dorea!" A lithe girl with straight chocolate hair walked up to the stool. She had pale skin and piercing onyx eyes. As the sorting hat was placed on her head, her dark mischievous eyes scanned the great hall.

 

"SLYTHERIN!" The girl smirked. She then turned to look at the pleased look on the potion master's face and giggled.

 She hopped off the stool and ran to the Slytherin table. She sat down next to Draco Malfoy and immediately hugged the Parkinson sisters and Astoria Greengrass. She then turned to look straight at the sorting hat waiting for the next name to be called. 

 

"Potter, Eileen!" A girl identical to Dorea skipped up to the sorting hat and sat down waiting to be placed with her sister. 

 

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat announced and both girls’ eyes widened. Eileen turned back to look at Professor Snape, just as her sister did. Snape shook his head with a smile and nodded 'go sit with your brother' he mouthed to her, she nodded and smiled before hopping off the stool, waving to her twin, and running to sit next to Harry Potter. 

 

-x-

 

As the small brunette first year bound her way to sit with the golden trio, Harry Potter's mind was reeling in shock. He had living relatives? Relatives besides the Dursley's? How was this possible? Had his father had siblings? Did he have wizarding family? If so, why was he placed with the Dursley's? Why didn't his father's family take him in? 

 

His mind was whirling, he didn't notice that the girl, Eileen, had sat down next to him on one side while her twin was bouncing next to Malfoy biting her lip and squirming. Malfoy rolled his eyes, sighed, and took the firstie's hand and walked her to the Gryffindor table, eyes following them from across the hall. 

 

"Potter," his voice drawled as he came to a stop behind Hermione and Ron, "I believe your sister wishes to join in on the family reunion, please refrain from infecting her with your Gryffindorkishness," he said as all Gryffindor's in sight (and the Slytherin next to him) glared at him. If he noticed, he didn't show it, dropping the Slytherin girl's hand and walking back to the Slytherin table. With little haste the Slytherin climbed up onto the bench on the other side of Harry. 

 

Harry sat in shock, "sister?" He asked himself looking at the two girls on either of his sides, "sisters," he corrected himself. 

 

"I didn't know you had sisters!" Ron blurted out. 

 

"Neither did I," 

 

-x-

 

"Draconis, little brother," Alhena began, “ _why_  do you have to be such a little twat? We all know you like the Potter boy; leave him alone, he might like you if you're not being such a prat!" Alhena chided, causing the surrounding Slytherins to break out in giggles (Pansy, Rose, Millicent, Astoria and Daphne), howls (Crabbe and Goyle), and snickers (Blaise and Theo). 

Draco's normally pale face turned bright pink. 

 

"I-I do not!" 

 

"Yes you do, stop denying it," 

 

"Do  _not_! Now shush! I want to watch the rest of the sorting!" 

 

The fifth year smirked but stayed quiet for the continuation of the Sorting ceremony.  

 

“Rollins, Tessa!”

 

“SLYTHERIN!”

 

“Ryker, Terrence!”

 

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

 

“Samson, Lilith!”

 

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

 

“Torban, Alexander!”

 

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

 

“Vane, Romilda!”

 

“GRYFFINDOR!”

 

“Volossi, Colette!”

 

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

 

“Weasley, Ginevra!”

 

“GRYFFINDOR!”

 

And with that McGonagal’s scroll rolled up and she took her seat as Headmaster Dumbledore stood.

 

"First off I'd like to welcome you all to another year at Hogwarts. I'd also like to introduce you to the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Gildroy Lockheart," a blond man stood and bowed winking to the students, "now I'm not one for long speeches, so I'll cut this short. Let's eat!" Dumbledore finished, and with that the welcoming feast materialized on the four tables, and eating commenced. 

 

-x-

 

The youngest Weasley sat down next to Ron and after the food appeared the twins introduced themselves. 

 

"Name's Dorea Potter," said the one in Slytherin green, her hand stretched out. 

 

"Eileen Potter," the one in Gryffindor red quipped, hand stuck out in invitation just as her twin. 

 

Hermione looked from Harry to the girls and smiled softly stretching out her hand and softly shaking each of their outstretched palms, "Hermione Granger," 

 

Ron looked at a loss for words and spluttered a "R-Ron Weasley," and shook their hands as Hermione had. 

 

The two turned their heads to the newest addition to the table and smiled. The redhead smiled back, taking both hands in and shaking them. 

 

"Ginny Weasley, I have a feeling we'll be best friends," she smiled at the twins and they nodded. 

 

"Best friends," they agreed. 

 

They then turned to Harry with giant smiles, eyes sparkling. 

 

"Uhh-- I--I'm Harry," Harry said awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, "uh Harry Potter," 

 

"Duh," said Eileen.

 

"We already knew that Harry," Dorea rolled her eyes. 

 

"Uh-- sorry? I didn't know I had sisters," Harry said feeling a bit more than overwhelmed. 

 

"Well we knew we had a big brother!" Dorea said crossing her arms.

 

"Yeah! Papa told us all about you!" Eileen agreed crossing her arms as well. 

 

"Papa?" Harry asked with a raised brow looking at his newly discovered sisters. 

 

"Yeah you know, papa!" Eileen said looking to the head table and pointing to Snape. "See! Papa," 

 

"  _Snape_!" Harry and Ron gasped incredulously.

 

"  _Professor_  Snape,"  Hermione corrected, albeit scandalized.

 

"It's actually Professor Snape-Potter, but just Professor Snape is fine," Dorea corrected buttering her roll. 

 

"Yeah, papa told us daddy was insistent that papa take the Potter name, but papa wanted to keep Snape, they ended up compromising though," Eileen continued, filling her plate. 

 

Harry gulped, "Snape and dad-- I mean Snape is my dad, well other dad?" 

 

"Yup!" Dorea said mouth full of her roll. 

 

"Dorea Lily, I thought I raised you better than that, I swear you're almost as bad as your father and the mutt," a familiar voice drawled, you could almost hear the raised eyebrow that no doubt accompanied the voice. 

 

With a scolded frown, much like when Ronald is scolded by Molly Weasley, Dorea turned around to face Snape. She swallowed and sent a apologetic smile. 

 

"Sorry papa," 

 

Harry and Eileen also turned around and faced Snape. 

 

"It's quite alright Dorea, just don't make a habit of it." He said "Salazar knows how hard I tried to get James and Sirius to stop with that nasty habit. I don't know how Remus stood having to eat with them," he said wistfully. 

 

It was odd to hear such longing in the professor's normally cold voice, the tone and longing smile that accompanied it had the golden trio seeing the Potions Master in a new light. 

 

They were not seeing the fearsome Dungeon Bat, they were seeing the man Severus Snape. 

 

"Uh, hello professor," Harry managed through a tight throat. 

 

"Hello Harry, I believe you've received some startling news to say the least. I also believe you will have some questions you'll want answered, you may come to my chambers, your sisters can help you find your way," professor Snape said with a glance to both of the twins before looking to Harry's two friends, "Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger may accompany you if you wish," 

 

"Uh-- yes--thank you sir," Harry blurted. 

 

"Yes, very well, I shall see you later," professor Snape nodded before heading back to the head table, stopping only to fondly tussle Corvus Black's hair, hand his twin sister, Lyra, a small black book, and give an older girl a smile. The great hall, with the exception of the first years that didn't have older wizarding siblings, were staring in disbelief. 

 

_Snape! Being nice?!? Hell has surely frozen over._

 

-x-

 

Severus Snape-Potter sat down at the head table with the rest of the staff, eyes straying to his children, and then his godchildren. Noticing the way (almost) all of the children in the great hall were looking at him he laughed and shook his head. He could almost hear James laughing about the priceless faces on the students. With a smile Severus began buttering his roll, sparing a glance at Minerva McGonagall. 

 

"I do wish you luck dealing with not only Harry and Ascella but now Eileen, Corvus, and Lyra, pity you, having to deal with the marauders second coming," he laughed as Minerva's face paled as she realized just how many marauder progeny she had in her house.

 

"Dear Merlin, save us all," she muttered her face as pale as the Bloody Barren. 

 

Albus Dumbledore smiled with a twinkle in his eye and said, "My, yes, I do believe it will be a fun year," his eyes were full of mirth. "Yes, a very fun year indeed," 

 


	2. Settling In

**Chapter 2**

**Settling in**

 

Prefect Percy Weasley guided the Gryffindors to the portrait of the Fat Lady where he announced that the password to the commons was " _Wattlebird_ ". 

 

Once in the cozy red and gold common room, Harry, and subsequently Ron, and Hermione, were introduced to the Blacks’ by Eileen. 

 

"Harry! You should meet Lyra and Corvus Black!" Eileen stated dragging the two first years from earlier towards her brother and his friends. 

 

"Oh, oka—" Harry was cut off by the redhead next to him. 

 

"Why should Harry meet the Traitor's kids!? It's their dad's fault he's an orphan!" Ron spluttered. 

 

"Ronald!" Hermione chastised.

 

"But we're not orphans! Daddy and Papa are both alive! And uncle Siri didn't do anything!" Eileen protested. 

 

“Wait!—” Harry tried but was cut off.

 

"Look, kid, everyone knows Black ratted them out to You-Know-Who," some older boy said. 

 

"Uncle Siri wasn't the secret keeper! It was that cunt Pettigrew!" Eileen fumed, and the lights began to flicker.

 

"Eile, it's okay," the brunette girl exclaimed grabbing Eileen's left arm that was reaching for her wand. 

 

"No it's not Lyra, how can you let people say things like that about your dad?" Eileen asked the girl. The girl with light brown hair– _Lyra_ –opened her mouth to speak, but it was a fifth year who  _actually_  spoke. 

 

"Eile, growing up we've heard a lot worse, we've learned not to let it affect us," The girl had deep chocolate hair, a mix between black and brown, and bright amber eyes, Harry recognized her as the girl from the sorting.

 

"But Ascella!" Eileen whined. 

 

"No buts Eileen," Ascella said sternly, Eileen glared but made no more protests.

 

 -x-

 

Dorea Potter followed the Slytherin Prefect, Alhena Malfoy, with the rest of the Slytherins suddenly Alhena stopped in front of two bookcases, she then turned to face the group. 

"The password is " _Pure-Blood_ "" Alhena announced, and suddenly the wall moved and opened up to the Slytherin common room. 

 

The room was a cold affair, with sleek black leather couches and deep green easy chairs. Entering the room, Dorea's eyes widened and she headed over to look out of the Dungeon window into Black lake. 

 

"Wow, Eile the com--" Dorea began but realized her twin was not next to her, but instead up in Gryffindor tower. Suddenly she wasn't as happy as when she first stepped into the room. Elieen was her best friend. They'd never been so far apart, she missed her sister. Sure she wasn't alone, she had Alhena, Draco, Blaise, Pansy, Rose, and Astoria, but no one could replace her sister. 

 

She spotted a head of painstakingly white-blond hair, and her mood brightened. 

 

"Oh Draco~" she sang skipping to the blond. "I need your help with something," she smiled-- or more smirked evilly. 

 

Draco looked skeptical, "what does it entail," 

 

If possible Dorea's smile grew wider as she explained her plans. This did not bode well for who she was planning against, and Draco hoped that he never crossed either of the Potter twins.

 

-x-

 

Eileen Potter sighed as she got dressed in her nightshirt, this was the first time she and Dorea had been separated, reaching into Max's terrarium she let the small garden snake slither up her arm and wrap around her hand and fingers. 

 

Eileen yawned and stretched. She stroked Max's head and wished Dorea well down in the dungeons. 

 

Ginny Weasley walked into the dorm room and stopped. Eileen looked sad. Ginny bypassed her bed, and took a seat down next to the solemn Potter girl. 

 

"You miss her don't you?" Ginny asked looking down at her hands. 

 

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Eileen looked up. 

 

"Well I have six older brothers, there's Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, and then Ron. They all went to school before me, after Fred and George left for Hogwarts it was just me an' Ron, we became real close. Then last year he went to Hogwarts and I was left all alone with mum and dad," Ginny said with a smile, "I really missed him," 

 

"Oh," Eileen said for lack of a better response. 

 

"But mum told me, that no matter how far away we were, we still loved each other," Ginny said and Elieen smiled. 

 

"Thanks Ginny," 

 

"No problem." Ginny said as she walked to her trunk to pull out a nightgown. 

 

 -x-

 

As Dorea Potter slipped into her nightshirt she smiled. She couldn't wait to tell Eli about her plans. She then grabbed Vix's terrarium, and allowed the black snake to tangle in her fingers. 

 

As Dorea pet the black scales, Nix's tongue darted out and licked her thumb. The brunette sighed. 

 

Dorea slipped on a pair of slippers and pulled on a robe, rearranging Nix on her shoulders and stepping out into the common room. Alhena Malfoy was sitting on the couch by the fire, reading. 

 

"Can't sleep?" She asked, marking her page, and placing it on the glass coffee table. 

 

"Yeah," Dorea said sitting down next to the older girl. 

 

"Miss Eile?" The dark haired prefect asked. 

 

"Yeah," The youngest Potter sighed. 

 

"Salazar! You do know you'll see her tomorrow?" The Malfoy heiress laughed. 

 

"Yes, I know that, it's just, I've never not had Elieen with me, you know, it's just weird," the brunette said with a grimace.

 

"Well, I know how that feels," Alhena said leaning forward, her head in her hands her blue eyes looking into the onyx eyes of the first year. 

 

"You do?" Dorea looked hopeful. 

 

"Yes, you know my cousin Ascella," Alhena stopped for an affirmative before continuing. "Well we were around the same age, and we spent the summer before I went to Hogwarts with her and the twins, '  _mum_ ' was pregnant at the time and Draco was four, 'Cell and I slept in the same room and so when I went to Hogwarts in September I missed her, she's like the sister I never had," 

 

"So what did you do to feel better?" Dorea asked petting the scales on Nix's head. 

 

"Well 'Cell wasn't at Hogwarts, so we sent letters, but with you and Eile I'm sure you can figure something out, after all you're both bright witches." Alhena yawns, "now how about we go to bed? We have a long day tomorrow," 

 

Dorea stood up and headed to her dormitory, stopping and turning her head to Alhena who was headed to her own dorm. "Thanks Aly," 

 

"No problem Dory," 

 

 -x-

 

Corvus Black sat with his back to the head board, his eyes drifted to the window. It was three days until the full moon, and he still hadn’t healed from the last full moon. In three days he and his sisters would go to the shrieking shack and transform. The boys in his dormitory, two muggleborns named Colin and Jacob, a half-blood named Jonah, and a pureblood named Erwin, were discussing quiditch, or rather Erwin and Jonah were explaining it to Colin and Jacob, however Corvus had the feeling Colin wasn't very interested in learning about the sport, as Colin kept sneaking glances at him. 

 

"So... The snitch is worth 150 points?" Jacob, who was dark skinned, asked. 

 

"Yeah!" Jonah chirped, he had blond hair, bright blue eyes, and freckles. 

 

"And they fly on brooms! The whole time!?" Jacob asked astounded. 

 

"Yup," Erwin said popping the 'p' 

 

"Wicked!" Jacob exclaimed. 

 

Deciding he have enough of the conversation, Corvus stood up, knelt down by his trunk and pulled out a few pictures to put on his nightstand. 

 

 His eyes were drawn to a picture of his parents and older sister Ascella. The picture was one from before his dad was sent to Azkaban. They were smiling up at Corvus.  Ascella was being held on dad's hip, her right arm was around his neck and she was wearing a yellow sundress and no shoes. Dad was in a muggle tee shirt and jeans, he was smiling, actually smiling, his eyes weren't sunken in and his hair wasn't tangled or matted. Then there was--

 

"Hi, um... Corvus was it?" The boy, Colin, was standing on the other side of the trunk. Corvus blinked. He hadn't been expecting anyone wanting to talk to him. 

 

"Yeah," Corvus gulped. This couldn't be good. 

 

"Can you explain wizarding photography to me?" He asked with a smile. "You see, I like to take photos, and I've never seen anything like wizarding photos," Colin explained shyly, his mousy brown hair falling into his hazel eyes.  Corvus swallowed.

 

"Uh, sure,"

 

 -x-

 

Lyra Black smiled as she read the book her godfather had given her. It was her dad and Uncle James’s prank diary and if her father knew she had it, she’d never see it again. As she read the description for a brilliant prank involving Filch, spell-o-tape, and glitter, she saw a pair of redhead twins look at her then whisper conspiringly.

 

The first year looked over the diary as the twins walked up to her.

 

“I solemnly swear—“one started.

 

“—I am up for no good,” the other finished.

 

She closed the diary and looked up at the fourth years with wide devious eyes, and smirked.

 

“Mischief managed,” she replied. This will be the start of a beautiful friendship.

 

 -x-

 

"Good night Dorea,"

 

 -x-

 

"Good night Eileen,"

 

-x-

 

**_"Good night Max,"_ **

****

**_"Good night Misstressss Eileen,"_ **

 

-x-

 

**_"Good night Nix,"_ **

**_"Good night Misstressss Dorea,"_ **


	3. Awakened

**Chapter 3**

**Awakened**

 

In the Gryffindor second year boy’s dormitory Harry Potter lie in his bed. In the last twenty-four hours he had learned that he had sisters. Sisters that were born _after_ the death of Lily Evans, the woman who he had been told was his mother all his life. Was everything he had ever been told a lie? If Snape was his dad, then why hadn’t he raised him? Why were Dorea and Eileen raised by Snape but not Harry? Why had Snape let the horrible Dursley’s raise him? And if Snape was his father why had he been treated with such contempt by the potions master?

 

Harry was hurt. He didn’t know what to believe anymore. Uncle Vernon’s voice echoed in his head.

 

_Freak._

 

Maybe that was why Snape, his ‘ _papa_ ’, didn’t want him. He was a freak. “Nobody loves a freak,” Vernon had once said. Uncle Vernon was right, he was a freak. Harry felt his world come crashing down.

 

Harry had always wanted a family, and now that he had one he didn’t know how to feel. He had been lied to, cast off to his abusive ‘Uncle’ and negligent ‘Aunt’.

 

Why wasn’t he good enough to be loved?

 

 -x-

 

 James Potter laid sickly pale in a bed at Saint Mungo’s. He had been there since that fateful Halloween night almost eleven years before. He had not moved once. The medi-witches and wizards caring for him had given up hope of him ever recovering from the dark petrification curse the dark lord had cast upon him. The monitoring spells and charms placed on James remained at their normal intervals. The night stand by his bed held photos, stuffed toys, cards, and flowers. Not once looked at by the room’s sole occupant.

 

James Potter’s left hand twitched.

 

Almost immediately a team of medi-wizards, researchers, and nurses stormed in the room. Healers waved wands, nurses checked vitals, researchers wrote down information. Noise and more noise consumed the normally quiet room, but as James’ chapped lips pursed, the frenzy died down and everyone lent in.

 

“Sev’rus,”

 

It was no more than a croaked whisper, but everyone heard it, and Hogwarts was Flooed.

 

 -x-

 

Severus had many regrets in his life, and letting his precious baby boy be raised as the son of another was one of the most painful of them. Lily Evans was an amazing woman, and Severus loved Lily like a sister, but he held resentment towards the redhead. Lily got claim to his beautiful boy— _his beautiful Harold James_. Lily got a claim to his looks; they say he has her eyes. Its true Lily’s eyes were a vibrant emerald, but Harry’s eyes were not hers, Harry got his olive green eyes from James. Severus always thought it was convenient no one mentioned Harry’s dark midnight hair, something he had inherited from him. 

 

It hurt letting Harry go, but at the time it was best. Severus was already a spy when he turned pregnant, and it was easier to say goodbye to his son than to damn his baby to darkness. James was excited for Harry’s arrival, and for a time so was Severus, but when he realized what his choices were—realized that he was trapped—the impending arrival of his firstborn was painful.

 

Severus had cried as he handed his beautiful boy to Lily on August 3rd. For Harry’s first three days it was just James and Severus. They had time to bond as a family before James and Lily took Harry into hiding.

 

From then on Pettigrew would apperate Severus to Godric’s Hollow where he would spend time with James and Harry.

 

In 1981 Severus fell pregnant again and took on the position of Potions Master at Hogwarts.

 

On October 31st of the same year, James was petrified, Lily was killed, and Harry was sent to one of Lily’s sisters.

 

The shock sent Severus into labour and the twins were born November 1st.

 

 -x-

 

“Yes?” Minerva McGonagall asked as she opened the portrait hole in her light nightclothes, her dark greying hair falling in waves to her mid back, she still had her glasses on.

 

“Ah, Minerva, I just received a Floo-Call from St. Mungo’s. It would be appreciated of you to gather the young Potter’s while I inform Severus,” Headmaster Dumbledore greeted his deputy.

 

“Albus—does this—oh! Of course Albus! Just let me inform Poppy!” McGonagall turned and disappeared into her quarters, returning moments later wearing a robe and slippers. “Who should I gather first Albus?”

 

Albus smiled and his eyes twinkled, “I do believe Gryffindor tower is closest.”

 

“Ah! Yes it is!” Minerva nodded and began down the hall to the Gryffindor entrance, her robe flowing behind her. Professor Dumbledore smiled and headed to Severus’ dungeon quarters.

 

 -x-

 

“Wattlebird,” McGonagall announced waking the sleeping portrait.

 

“Professor?” the Fat Lady asked, surprised.

 

“Sorry, no time to chat,” McGonagall said stepping through the entrance. She became face to face with sixth year Prefect Percy Weasley sitting on fellow sixth year and Quidditch Captain Oliver Wood’s lap. Once over the shock of finding _Percy Weasley_ of all people snogging openly on the common room couch, she cleared her throat. There was a gasp as Percy jumped off Oliver’s lap. Oliver’s hair was ruffled and he was slightly flustered at being caught by his head of house. Percy was in a more rumpled and embarrassed state, his hair was tussled and his shirt untucked and in the process of being unbuttoned. Percy’s tie was nowhere to be found.

 

“Professor!” Percy squeaked, cheeks flaming. “I-It’s not what it looks like! We—”

 

McGonagall raised her hand up to stop the Prefect. She herself was also a bit flustered. “That’s enough Weasley, fetch Potter for me and I won’t deduct points.”

 

“Yes Professor, anything Professor!” Percy gulped nodding his head turning to walk towards the dormitories before stopping. “Uh, which Potter, Professor?”

 

“Mr. Potter,” McGonagall clarified, and Percy nodded running up to the second year boy’s dormitory. McGonagall turned to Oliver Wood. “Wood, please use protection, I don’t want either of you out of commission anytime soon,” as she said this Oliver’s eyes widened.

 

McGonagall left the stunned Keeper on the couch and headed into the first year girl’s dormitory.

 

 -x-

 

Severus Snape-Potter held on to each of his daughters hands as he dragged them through St. Mungo’s. He would have held Harry’s had as well, but he didn’t think the twelve year old would take well to him holding his hand, even if Severus had a third hand to do so, so Harry trailed behind taking in the sights of the busy magical hospital.  He was surprised by how alert Harry was, the twins were stumbling, barely awake, but Harry weaved through the busy Medi-witches and wizards without one incident.

 

Severus suddenly stopped at room 213. He swallowed, nervous. Harry, who hadn’t noticed the stop collided with his bearer’s back.

 

“Sorry,” Harry said, taking a few steps back. “So why are we here?”

 

“James,” Severus said, letting go of the twins and turning to face the door.

 

Harry’s eyes widened, “Dad?”

 

Severus nodded and opened the door.

 

“Sev!” a deep a cheery voice announced.

 

“Jamie,” Snape said breathlessly, eyes filling with tears. Harry stepped forward without noticing and placed a hand on Snape’s arm.

 

“Harry? Is that you?” the voice said and Harry turned his head and met green eyes. Harry tried to open his mouth but no words came out, and he ended up nodding. James’ eyebrows knitted together, “where are the twins?”

 

“Right here,” Dorea said stepping forward, hand-in-hand with Eileen.

 

“I’ve missed so much,” James said as the reunited family sat around his bed. “But I’ve heard all of what you’ve told me.” He smiled, and turned to Harry. “I heard you’re a world class Seeker just like your papa, eh, getting on the team as a first year?” James smirked and prodded his elbow into Harry’s side. Harry blushed, but smiled.

 

“Hey! What about us!” Eileen said, hands on her hips.

 

“Yeah! Eile and I speak Parceltounge just like you!” Dorea quipped.

 

 ** _“Oh really?”_** James smirked and wiggled his eyebrows.

 

 ** _“Yeah!”_** the twins said at once.

 

 ** _“What’s Parceltounge?”_** Harry asked, but it came out a hiss.

 

“Oh great, another one,” Severus sighed, but smiled none-the-less. “Parceltounge is the ability to speak to snakes, it’s inherently genetic, but it can pop up randomly. The Potter’s are decedent of the Peverell’s who directly descend from Salazar Slytherin himself. Slytherin is one of the most famous of Parcelmouths,” Severus explained.

 

“Oh…” Harry said.

 

“Yeah, it really freaked out Sirius when he heard me talking to the flying snakes in third year!” James laughed.

 

“It freaked everyone out Jamie!” Severus laughed.

 

“Speaking of Sirius how soon do you think we can get him out of Azkaban?”

 

“As soon as we can get an Auror in here,”

 

“Done.” A witch with pink hair and red robes said at the door. Harry didn’t know who this witch was, but it seemed James, Severus, and the twins did.

 

“Nymphadora? Is that you?” James asked eyes bulging.

 

“It’s Tonks!” Nymphadora said, and her hair changed to red.

 

“Definitely Nymphadora,” James laughed, “Last time I saw you, you were a lil’ mite, weren’t ya?”

 

The Auror, Tonks, glared at James, but she still kicked off the wall, and walked further into the room. She sauntered to the end of James’ bed and leant forward onto her elbows. Her head was resting in her hands, and her fingernails were manicured and colored black.

 

“So,” she said, and the contour of her purple lipstick and her white teeth, created a slightly menacing effect. “How are we going to get cousin Sirius out of Azkaban,”

 

“Well, I was thinking the legal way,” Severus drawled.

 

“You’re no fun,” James scowled and crossed his arms at his husband. Harry couldn’t help but smile at the interaction between the men. He could get used to this


	4. A Morning With Ministry Officials

**Chapter 4**

**A Morning With Ministry Officials**

Padfoot lay curled up on a cot in his prison cell, the guard, a chubby excuse of an Auror had passed out not long after his shift began six hours ago. Padfoot knew the guards would be changing soon, and with the guards changing, he would have to change as well. His eyes strayed to the Auror’s wand in longing, what he would give to be with Moony and their pups as a free man. If he weren’t in Azkaban for a crime he didn’t commit, Harry would be with his papa and sisters, and not with one of Lily’s relatives. As kind as Jasmine was, he wasn’t sure that Harry was placed with her, even if she was Lily’s only Magical relative. If Harry wasn’t placed with Jasmine, then he was placed with Lily and Jasmine’s older sister Petunia. Granted he hadn’t met the woman, but from what the Evans’ sisters said about her, she wasn’t a kind bird.

 

Padfoot heard the thumping of feet against the prison floor. He was about to change back into his human form when he heard the telltale sound of a slip and fall followed by some colourful curses.

 

Padfoot doggishly smirked as he changed into Sirius Black.

 

“They should really even out the floor,” Nymphadora muttered, “It keeps causing me to trip!”

 

Sirius chuckled, “Dora, I don’t think it’s the floor,”

 

“Oh, what do you know!?” Nymphadora huffed indigently, her hair flamed, it changing from purple to red, and her brown eyes narrowed. Sirius’s eyes widened, he put his hands up, and took a step back. Sirius knew first-hand not to anger a woman from the Black family. It _never_ ended well. Nymphadora turned to the still sleeping Auror, before kicking him with her black dragon hide boot. “Oi! Murrey! Wake up you fat lump!”

 

The Auror awoke abruptly, before scowling at the younger Auror. “Tonks! What the hell are you doing here!?!”

 

“Shift change ya moron!” Nymphadora rolled her eyes at her co-Auror. The man grumbled, but stood up, glaring all the while. Once Murrey was gone Nymphadora reached into her pocket and brought out a chocolate bar, letters, a photo, and a book.

 

“From, Remus and the kids,” Nymphadora said handing the parcels though the bars, she coughed and a blush formed on her face as she pulled out another photo, “Remus also gave me this,” she coughed again, “I never knew he was that flexible,”

 

“Gimmie that!” Sirius cried his face flushing.

 

Nymphadora winked, “I’ve got to admit, for having three kids, Remus looks good,” Sirius glared at the nineteen year old witch. Nymphadora laughed, “Trust me I’m not interested… well… I kind of am… but I’m happy with Maggi,” the statement did little to sedate the man, but the next thing out of Nymphadora’s mouth certainly did.

 

 “James woke up,” She said, “he, Remus, and Sev are talking with Minister Fudge as we speak,” she smiled, “Looks like you’ll be out of here soon,”

 

 -x-

 

Harry woke up to an unfamiliar room—or what he thought was a room—he couldn’t quite tell without his glasses. When he found them, he found himself on transfigured chair turned bed that was pushed up against the opposite wall to James’ hospital bed. He was not alone, as his twin sisters were asleep at the other end of the bed. He yawned and looked around the room for his parents, he found them sitting with two other men. One was a little man with a round belly and a lime green bowler hat perched atop what was left of his grey hair. The other had brown hair akin to the hair of the younger Black girl and was dressed shabbily. They looked like they were deep in conversation, but Harry couldn’t hear anything other than the soft breathing of the twins. He wondered if it was some sort of charm, and if Hermoine could look it up, it might prove useful.

 

Almost as if Severus knew Harry was up, he looked up from the conversation and met eyes with his son. He held up a polite hand, kissed James’ cheek, and stood. His foot falls were silent until he stopped in front of Harry and did an incantation. The silence disappeared and Harry immediately heard the outcry of the man with the bowler.

 

“But he’s a Black!” the man was instant.

 

“And, he’s innocent,” James said, “Sirius is my best mate, _and_ my children’s godfather along with Remus here,”

 

The man with the bowler looked at a loss for words, and the brown haired man—Remus—shared a look with Severus.

 

“Why don’t Sev and I go take the kids to go get something to eat, while you and Minister Fudge… talk,” Remus said and Harry got the feeling that he was a kind man.

 

“Sure Remus,” James said, eyes never leaving the man with the bowler, who apparently was the Minister of Magic. Harry saw Severus roll his eyes and had to stop himself from laughing. Severus then turned to the twins’ end of the bed and shook the shoulder of the closest one.

 

“Wassit,” the twin groaned, snuggling further into the covers, eerily reminding Harry of Ron.

 

“Dorea, time to get up sweetheart, come on,” Severus said softly. Harry got an ache in his heart, he had never been talked to like that while with the Dursley’s. He couldn’t help feeling resentful, but he would never show that resentment to his siblings. He would not become another Petunia.

 

Severus sensed the change in his son’s demeanor and watched as Harry absently rubbed his upper arm with a wince. Severus took a shaky breath and grabbed Harry’s arm. Gulping he pushed up the large short sleeve and came face to face with a purple bruise. It looked to be quite fresh, only three or four days old max.

 

“How did you get this?” he asked, his face contorted in concern, Severus knew the signs of abuse, and Harry had shown every one of them. He had tried to ignore them, tried to tell himself it was just his mind playing tricks on him. Debler, the wizardservices agent assigned to Harry, had said Harry was well cared for and happy. If Debler was wrong about that, then Debler would have a widow.

 

“Uh…” Harry stammered, wondering if he should tell the truth or not. With the look in Severus’s eyes, he quickly decided truth. “I uh, burnt dinner… so Uncle Vernon grabbed me and shoved me into my room,” Harry quickly added, pushing up his glasses, “It was my fault you know, I got lost in my thoughts,”

 

Everything in the room got silent. Severus looked physically ill, his body quivered with each exhale and he was desperately trying to hold back tears. The twins, Eileen and Dorea, looked at Harry with wide eyes, having woken up to hear their brother tell of his abuse.  Remus had frozen hid stride to the door. Minister Fudge was ashen, wondering how badly this would affect his reelection campaign. James was verbally growling and about ready to blow a gasket or commit murder, the later seemed quite likely with the way he was clutching his wand.

 

 -x-

 

Dudley Dursley was on edge. He had a secret, one he’d been hiding from his parents since his eleventh birthday. He had gotten a letter. A letter like the one Harry had gotten. He didn’t tell his parents because he had heard them talking about his aunt Lily one night when he was younger. His mother had said that Lily had gotten a letter when she was eleven and it turned her into a freak because she went to a freak school and made freak friends, so Dudley kept quiet about his letter, and when Harry had gotten that beautiful Owl, he had borrowed it (without permission) to send a reply to McGonagall.

 

To tell the truth, his opinion of Harry had changed after he got his letter, he had stopped being so cruel to him. He stopped most of the beatings, only being mean to him when his parents were around as not to raise suspicion. When he went to Smeltings, a professor who also was a wizard took him under his wing. The Professor’s name was Remus Lupin-Black and he taught arithmetic. Remus told him about the wizarding world, about Hogwarts, and even about a sport called Quidditch. Remus had also given him textbooks on the subjects taught at Hogwarts, so he could learn theory, but as he had no wand, he hadn’t yet tried practical. He wondered what house he would be sorted in if he had attended Hogwarts, he also wondered what type of wizard he’d make, if he’d be on the Quidditch team, and what his wand would be made of.

 

While Dudley was lost in thought, Vernon Dursley, his father, scowled. Vernon didn’t like the feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. Something was going to happen, he knew it. He had gotten that feeling when they took the brat in, he’d gotten it when the brat got that damned letter, and he felt it today.

 

Petunia Dursley, Dudley’s mother, was shuffling around in the kitchen making breakfast for her Dudders and her Vernie-poo. She tried to ignore the static feeling in the air around her, because when she acknowledged it, bad things happened. She pursed her lips as she slid the eggs onto her, Vernon, and Dudley’s plates. She put on a smile and took the plates to the table.

 

The family ate in relative silence. However Dudley was more moving his fork around his plate than actually eating. He was still lost in thought. He now wished that he had accepted the letter from Hogwarts. He might have made real friends, and have a better relationship with Harry. He wondered if there was a way he could go to Hogwarts now, He would have to ask Remus.

 

There was a knock at the door and Dudley went to answer it. When he did he found himself infront of two men wearing red robes and a woman with short greying blonde hair and navy eyes, she too was wearing robes, but hers were black and serious. She had pink pursed lips, a strong jaw, and high cheek bones. 

 

“Hello, is this the Dursley residence?” She asked, Dudley almost cowered, her voice oozed with authority.

 

“Y-Yes,” Dudley stuttered before looking away from the serious looking woman to the red clad men, “Are you Aurors?” He asked  genuinely curious and slightly excited.

 

“Why, yes, they are, how did you know?” The woman raised an eyebrow.

“Uh… I… uh…” Dudley stammered before blurting “I’mawizardtoojustdon’ttellmyperentsthey’llkillme!”

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?” one of the Aurors’ asked.

 

Dudley looked around and licked his lips, “I said, I’m a wizard, just don’t tell my parents. They’ll kill me!”

 

“Why?” The other Auror asked.

 

“Dudley darling are you oka—You!” Petunia growled, “You! You’re one of Lily’s freak friends aren’t you!”

 

The two Aurors looked taken aback, but the woman stayed stoic. “I believe that’s why boys,” she said looking to the Auror on the left. She took a step forward. “Petunia Dursley?” Petunia scowled but nodded. “You and your husband are being taken in to be questioned on the charge of abuse and neglect of a wizarding minor, your son will be placed with your next of kin, a Mrs. Jasmine Parkinson, as he has shown signs of magical ability,”


	5. Overwhelmed

**Chapter 5**

**Overwhelmed**

 

Jasmine Parkinson was a tall witch with brown eyes and waist length auburn hair. She wore a light peach cloak and a brown blouse with muggle jeans. When Petunia Dursley saw her, her nostrils flared. Jasmine glared at her sister before looking for her nephew, she found him sitting across from his parents, eyes turned to the ground. His parents were more than likely going to disown him if the look Vernon Dursley was giving his son was anything to go by.

 

Jasmine couldn’t help but feel sorry for the boy. When her parents found out that she was a witch as well, they had celebrated. Lily told her all about Hogwarts, dad had given her a chocolate bar, and mum had baked a cake. Petunia shunned her and Lily, started calling them freaks. Jasmine had always thought Petunia had lashed out in jealousy, but that was no excuse for abuse or making her own son scared of being a wizard.

 

“Tuney,” Jasmine acknowledged her sister coldly, Petunia glared harder. Jasmine turned to her nephew and crouched in front of him.

 

“Dudley?” She asked looking up at him. Dudley met her eyes and nodded. She smiled. “You’re twelve right? You’re around the same age as my Pansy aren’t you?” Dudley nodded again. He had more cousins?

 

“Alright then,” Jasmine smiled and stood up, hand stretched out for Dudley to grab. “Why don’t we go get you a wand and your school supplies, sound good?”  Dudley’s eyes brightened and he nodded vigorously. He was going to get his very own wand! “Okay then! Let’s go!”

 

Dudley jumped out of his chair and grabbed his Aunt’s hand. she walked him to the Floo parlor and instructed him how to use Floo powder. When he disappeared in the green flames and ended up in a pub his Aunt had called “The Leaky” he was overwhelmed with the sheer crowdedness of the place. There were many men and women dressed in robes and cloaks, they were a rowdy lot. Dudley almost jumped when his Aunt placed her hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him and led him out through the back of the pub. His Aunt pointed to the trash can and pulled out an ornate wand.

 

“Watch closely Dudley,” She smiled, “Three up, two across,” as she said this, she pointed her wand at the wall and went up three bricks and over two, tapping the brick three times with her wand.  The wall opened up to a crowded shopping centre.

 

“This is Diagon Alley, now there are other ways into Diagon but I’m partial to the way Lily taught me.” She said looking over at Dudley, “Come on we only have one day to shop, you have to be at Hogwarts by dinner so you can be sorted,” She nudged Dudley through the threshold and followed in after.

 

“Now normally we’d go to Gringgots first, but since we’re in a stretch for time, we’ll just be charging the expenses to the Parkinson account, so you are going to Madame Malkin’s, while I go get your course books and supplies, then we’ll get your wand and choose your Familiar, at that point we’ll stop for lunch at Witches Brew, then we’re off to Cobbler’s Cottons to get linens for your room at the manor, maybe we’ll go to Bathilda’s Brooms to get you a Broom while we’re there, and then we’ll have to get you furniture for your room, so like I said, short for time!”

 

To say Dudley was overwhelmed was an understatement. Jasmine dragged him into Madame Malkin’s and told the witch to set him up with the Hogwarts set then to have him choose things that he liked. About fifteen minutes later Jasmine walked through the door again and thanked Madame Malkin after shrinking the purchases to fit in her pocket.

 

Jasmine then took him to Ollivander’s where he got his eleven inch— _slightly springy_ —Birch handle and Oak body Unicorn hair and Dragon heartstring— _great for charms and transfigurations_ —wand. Dudley thought Mr. Ollivander was… _interesting_ to say the least. Then she asked him what type of pet she wanted, to which he replied that he’d always wanted a cat, so she dragged him to Magical Menagerie, where he chose a black and white tuxedo cat with large ears and mismatched eyes, that he later learned was half kneezle (though he didn’t know what a kneezle was).

 

And now Jasmine was dragging him to Witches Brew for lunch.

 

 -x-

 

Severus was appalled with the way his son had been treated, and he promised himself that Harry would never have to live in that type of environment again. He had already planned to let Harry stay with him and the girls at the small cottage that he and James had shared before James, Harry and Lily went into hiding. Harry’s nursery was still intact, they would have to renovate of course, as he seriously doubted that his preteen son would care for the baby blue nursery of his younger days.

 

The cottage was in the Anglesey countryside near the wizarding village of Holyhead (the girls were huge Harpies fans). The exterior was a pale blue and the windows were birch, there was ivy climbing up the siding and large bushes at the front. They had a small garden where Severus grew vegetables and potions ingredients, and there was a large tree in the front of the cottage with a swing where the girls would take turns pushing and swinging. He and James had a picnic with Harry under the tree, and the memory was one of his happiest, in fact he thought of it every time he cast a Patronus.

 

James would be cleared to leave Saint Mungo’s later that evening and he decided to take Remus and the kids to the cottage. Even though they lived at Hogwarts while he was teaching, he almost always chose to go to Ivy Cottage for the weekends, when he wasn’t needed, that is. When James asked why he would be leaving, he had told him that he was going to take Harry to see his old room and to possibly go to get furniture for his room. James had agreed that Harry should see the home where he would be living, and that picking out furniture was a good idea. Harry had looked shell shocked at the news. He had never gotten his own clothing, so having his own furniture was otherworldly to him.

 

Severus decided that Flooing would be easiest with the amount of people headed to Ivy, and since the girls had been Flooing all of their lives, he sent them first, Remus following after. Next he would have sent Harry if it were not for the doubtful expression on his face.

 

“Ever Flooed before?” Severus asked, Harry shook his head. “Oh, well, first you grab a handful of Floo powder, then you drop it in the flames and announce clearly where you want to go, in this case, it’s ‘Ivy Cottage’, next, and I’ll admit it sounds a bit crazy, but you walk through the flames,” As Severus instructed Harry did as he was told, and he disappeared in a swirl of green flames.

 

Harry coughed as he landed in the sitting room of Ivy Cottage, he was covered in soot. He stood up and wiped his hands on his shirt. Behind him the Floo roared to live and Severus stepped out.

 

“Not bad for your first time,” Severus laughed before drawing his wand and muttering ‘Scourgify’. His clothes cleaned and the soot washed off his face. Harry made a face.

 

“That feels weird,” he said. Severus laughed again.

 

“I’m going to go find where Remus and the girls went,” Severus said, “make yourself at home, after all, this is your home now,”

 

Harry nodded and looked around the room, it was a pale yellow and a painting of sunflowers hung above a white floral printed couch. Photos where framed and hung on the wall as well. In one, a younger version of Severus was holding a baby who was wrapped in a blue blanket, the baby looked to be about one, and Harry recognized the baby as himself. The Severus in the photo was very visibly pregnant and was pulling faces at the baby Harry, who was laughing with a big smile. Harry’s eyes strayed to another photo, this one was of James and Harry, Harry couldn’t have been more than a month old in the photo. James and Harry were both asleep, and Harry was on James’ chest. In another photo Harry was playing with a blond baby that looked a little older than him, Harry was startled to realize his playmate was Draco Malfoy. There was another photo of Harry, this one was of him kissing what was probably Severus’s pregnant belly. There were a few photos of James and Severus together, some where they were kissing, others where they were laughing, and some where they were with Lily, Remus, and some other man. There were other photos as well, ones of the twins all in various ages, some were of Malfoy and the black haired Slytherin Prefect with two boys with brown hair, others were of the Black children, there were also photos of Harry in his Quidditch kit and of him flying.

 

Harry decided to leave the room. The photos were making him uncomfortable. Making his heart hurt. The room he ended up in next was a dining room. The table was relatively large for a family of three or five. It sat ten and was made of sandalwood, a vase of roses stood in the centre of the table. The room was a dark red, and the chairs were similarly upholstered. Harry thought that this must be a formal dining room, like the one Petunia Dursley made up when they had company. Harry walked passed the room and into the adjoining kitchen.

 

Harry was surprised to see a small telly on the counter facing a smaller table that would sit six if it had too. The kitchen was a light olive and the window over the sink looked into the back gardens. The cabinets were white and had metal handles. The sink was stainless steel and had a garbage disposal. The icebox and stove were white, and the backsplash behind the olive counters was a mosaic in varying shades of green and white. There was a door opposite to the Icebox that Harry assumed lead to Severus’s potion’s lab.

 

The next room he walked into was a burnt orange colour and it held the front door and a set of stairs leading to the upper level of the house. He deduced it was a foyer and headed up the stairs.

 

The first door he opened lead to a colourful bathroom that he guessed was for him and the twins to share. The next door opened to a dusty red room with black furniture and scrolls and inkpots everywhere. It was obviously an office, and without much thought Harry left the room. There were three rooms left, and he chose to ignore the room that’s door stated ‘KEEP OUT’ and ‘WITCHES ONLY’, so, really there were only two rooms left. Harry chose the room at the end of the hall that opened to a soft blue room.

 

In an instant Harry realized that this had been his room. There was a white wooden crib with green and blue linins. There was a quilt hanging off the railing of the crib with ‘Harold James’ embroidered in the bottom right corner. Above the crib was a mobile with different Quidditch paraphernalia dangling from white strings, and a life size Snitch dangled from the centre.  There were different stuffed toys all around the room and a pile of blocks was left on the carpet in front of the crib. Across from the crib was a green upholstered rocking chair and he got the strangest feeling of Deja-Vu.

 

Harry hadn’t noticed but at some point he had started crying.

 

“Severus made that quilt,” Remus’s voice sounded from behind him and he turned around to face him. “He started on it the moment he found out he was pregnant with you,” Remus smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, “He loved you, still does. He was heartbroken when he had to let you and James go and hide with Lily. He loved Lily like a sister, but that didn’t stop the anguish he felt. And then, that Halloween happened, It was the worst day of his life. Not only did he loose the woman he thought of as a sister, but he lost his husband and his baby boy as well, and even though neither of you actually died, it felt that way to him, to him it felt like his family died again. The pain of it all sent him into labour, and immediately he had to stop grieving his losses and become responsible again. He had two newborns to look after. He’s a lot stronger than he lets off. Sure, I lost Sirius to Azkaban, but I still got to talk to him, I still got to watch all three of my children grow up. Severus never got that. Severus tried and tried to get custody of you, but with the Dark Mark on his arm all he’d get was a sneer.  The only thing that kept Sev going were the Wizardservices reports. They told him, told everybody, that you were happy and healthy. But when Severus saw you again, you weren’t happy, you were barely healthy, he tried to ignore that, but when he couldn’t he got angry with himself, told himself he should have tried harder to get custody, and he took it out on you, on himself, on everybody except maybe the girls.”

 

Harry couldn’t handle all of this, all the constants in his life, gone. Harry didn’t know what to do. All he wanted was to be free, run away from his problems. So that’s what he did. He ran.

 


	6. Plots and Plans

**Chapter 6**

**Plots and Plans**

 

Hogwarts did not like the feeling the new DADA teacher gave her, she hadn’t liked Quirrel, and she defiantly did not like Lockheart. Hogwarts had seen many evils in her long life as a school, she had seen hexes and violence, she had seen friends and family turn on each other, she had even seen when Lord Voldemort had been a student, so she liked to think she had a sixth sense about these types of things, even if she was just an enchanted stone castle in Scotland.

The feeling Lockheart gave her, besides the sheer dimwittedness of the man, was not a good feeling. She felt the man was planning something, something even worse than what the possessed Quirrel had done. She knew she should stop it, but she had no way to communicate her worries, she had not been able to do so since the day of the founders and their children.

 

Hogwarts could do nothing but wait. Wait until she could do something to help.

 

Once again, the fate of the school rests in the hands of the Founder’s heirs.

 

-x-

 

Gilderoy Lockheart was pacing back and forth in his chambers. After the book signing at Flourish & Blotts a fan had come up to him and given him a black book. The book was blank, and so Gilderoy thought it was meant to be used for another book. He had thought it was a marvelous idea! He could write a book about his exploits as a teacher at Hogwarts, he would be a fabulous teacher! But when he had begun to write, something wrote back to him.

 

The person who wrote back to him was named Tom, Tom M. Riddle. As it turned out Tom was, or had been, a student at Hogwarts, and he knew a lot of secrets about the castle, like that there was a Basilisk somewhere in the dungeon of Hogwarts. To hear of a Basilisk was frightening until Tom had suggested that he defeat it after all had seemed lost. Gilderoy had liked that idea.

 

Tom had suggested that he give the diary to a student, preferably a younger student, so that the student would find the Basilisk and set it loose upon Hogwarts so that Gilderoy could defeat it and save the student, becoming a hero.

 

Since class had been canceled today because Peeves had hurt Moaning Myrtle’s feelings and subsequently had flooded the entire second floor, Gilderoy was deciding which student to give the diary too. He thought first years would be best, they would accept a gift from a teacher without question and they were easier to manipulate. Gilderoy thought that a girl was most likely to keep a diary, and a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff girl would be the least likely suspect. With that in mind he wrote a list.

 

**Gryffindor**

-Lyra Black

-Eileen Potter

-Ginevra Weasley

-Romilda Vane

 

**Hufflepuff**

-Erma Dottkins

-Hope McKenzie

-Nora Normand

-Lilith Samson

-Colette Volossi

 

Immediately he crossed off the Black girl, she was already distrusted, she’d be a suspect immediately. The Potter girl would be best, she would bring a lot of attention to Gilderoy when he saved her, but she also had that twin and Harry. Harry would most likely try to save his sister, so regretfully he crossed her off the list. The youngest Weasley, now there was an idea, she had a large family that would be grateful to him, she was a pureblood, _and_ her father worked in the ministry, he left her name. He didn’t know much about the Vane girl, other than she was a halfblood so he marked her from the list. Tom had told him the Basilisk was more likely to kill halfboods and muggleborns, it wouldn’t look good for his damsel to die would it?

 

Now the Dottkins heiress, Dottkins was an old pureblood family dating back to Founders, but while being a primarily Hufflepuff family, they also tended to ponder in the dark arts, so he crossed her off the list and moved on to the McKenzie girl, Gideroy had gone to school and had been friends with Malcom McKenzie, until he married a muggleborn witch that hadn’t liked him. He crossed Hope off the list. He didn’t know much about Normand, but he thought he’d heard Flitwick talk about how she showed potential despite being muggleborn, he crossed her off the list. Samson was also muggleborn so she was crossed off the list. Volossi was Sprout’s niece and Sprout would no doubt be watching her like a hawk so she was crossed off the list.

 

**Gryffindor**

~~-Lyra Black~~

~~-Eileen Potter~~

- _Ginevra Weasley_

~~-Romilda Vane~~

 

**Hufflepuff**

~~-Erma Dottkins~~

~~-Hope McKenzie~~

~~-Nora Normand~~

~~-Lilith Samson~~

~~-Colette Volossi~~

 

Weasley it was.

 

-x-

 

Oliver Wood was outside the doors to the Hospital wing waiting for Percy to exit and tell him that it was a false alarm and that they were lucky.  He couldn’t believe he had been so stupid. He couldn’t believe Percy had forgotten either, normally they were on top of things, but they had forgotten once and now there was a serious possibility that they’d be parents in less than a year.

 

He had only met Percy’s parents once; they’d met this summer when he’d gone to stay with them for a week. He’d gone as Percy’s friend however, not as his boyfriend, which he’d been since the end of fourth year. Neither of them had come out yet, not that there was anything wrong with being bent, they just didn’t want their relationship to become public knowledge, which if Percy was pregnant, it would be.

 

The doors opened and Oliver looked up. It was Percy. An incredibly pale, wide eyed Percy that looked as if he’d either cry or throw up, not that he hadn’t thrown up earlier, he had, which was why they decided it was a good idea to see Madame Pompfrey. Percy took two steps forward and nodded. Oliver felt like all the air had been knocked out of him by a Bludger.

 

“Bloody hell,” Oliver let out, and Percy was too shell-shocked to do anything other than nod. Oliver shook his head and pulled Percy to his chest, Percy began to shake in his arms He was crying. They were only sixteen. Oliver rocked Percy, one hand cording through Percy’s red hair while the other was rubbing Percy’s lower back through his brown sweater. “It’ll be okay,” Oliver said, even though at the moment he didn’t quite believe it.

 

-x-

 

Gred and Forge smirked at each other. They had made quite the partnership with the Black twins. At the moment Lyra was watching Filch walk from his office towards the second floor, no doubt to work on drying the portraits and floor, Mrs. Norris was following behind him. She smirked at her brother Corvus who was mixing glitter and something called ‘glue’ in a conjured bucket. Lyra had said it was a lot like liquid spell-o-tape, she had said that muggles use it to stick things together.

 

“Puppy you done?” She asked, “Flich just left his office with Mrs. Norris,”

“Almost Cubby, I still have to add the spell pops made,” he stood back from the bucket moved his wand in a spiral shape and muttered “repugnans” he smiled “There, not it’s resistant to water and magic,”

 

“You’re brilliant!” Fred gushed.

 

“Absolutely amazing!” George agreed.

 

“Why thank you,” Lyra winked, “we get it from our fathers, right Pups,”

 

“Right Cubs,” Corvus nodded.

 

Fred and George were dying to ask, what was with the nicknames? Looking at each other they nodded once and asked,

 

“So—”

 

“—What’s with—”

 

“—The nicknames?”

 

“Are you spies?”

 

“Or are you something else entirely?”

 

The Black twins looked put out before Corvus looked to Lyra then back at Fred and George. “Did you ever wonder why the Marauders were Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs?” he waited for Fred and George to nod before continuing, “Well, they were Animagi ,” he said leaving out why, “Prongs was James Potter, he was a stag, Padfoot, our father, was a grim,”  he scowled and gritted out, “Wormtail, Pettigrew, was a rat,”

 

“What about Moony?” Fred asked.

 

Lyra and Corvus looked down, “He was a wolf,” Lyra said.

 

“So are you Animagi?” George asked.

 

“Yes,” Corvus answered a little too quickly, but it was lost on the twins.

 

“Wicked!” they said together. “How long did it take you to learn?” Fred asked.

 

“We’ve been able to change form since we were born,” Lyra said.

 

“I didn’t know it was genetic,” Fred said surprised.

 

“Mmm,” Corvus hummed.

 

“Can we see?”

 

The Black twins looked to each other before shifting to wolf cubs. Corvus was a large black wolf with brown eyes and Lyra was a mottled brown wolf with ice blue eyes. Corvus looked more like an overgrown puppy than a wolf while Lyra was most defiantly a wolf. Fred and George knelt down and lightly pet the cubs.

 

“Can you teach us?”


	7. Split Tears

**Chapter 7**

**Spilt Tears**

 

The hot tears streaming down Harry’s face fell to the ground as he ran. He didn’t know where he was going, but he just needed to get away. He slowed and sat down when he came upon an upturned tree. He pulled his knees to his chest and shook, violent sobs raking through his body. Why had he been lied to? Why was he sent to the Dursleys’? It wasn’t fair!

 

When he had first gone to the Dursleys’ as a baby, he had been shoved under the sink. He was fed just enough to keep alive, and only got a fresh nappy once a week if he was lucky. His first memory of the Dursleys’ was being yelled at for crying when he’d gotten a nappy rash. If he remembered correctly he had been given a smack or two for that as well. He had only been two so the memory was fuzzy. He learned from that experience. Don’t cry. No matter how much it hurts, _don’t_ cry. When he was tall enough to reach the stove top, Petunia had put him to work. He learned that if you burnt the food, you wouldn’t be fed and if you tried to eat the food before the family ate, you’d be hit and you wouldn’t be fed.

 

When he got too big to fit under the sink, he was moved to the cupboard under the stairs. His work load increased after that, slowly at first, but the tasks shortly outweighed the rewards, not that he complained, he had more sense than that after all. He was allowed outside after his fifth winter with the Dursleys’, he was only allowed out to shovel the snow, but he relished every moment, even if he wasn’t allowed to play and he was only given Dudley’s hand-me-down coat and holey mittens to keep himself warm in the frigid temperatures. After he had shown he was competent enough to work outside, they let him tend the garden.

 

He then had his first burst of accidental magic in front of Petunia and Vernon. He had done other accidental magic like fixing the cup he had broken in the sink before Petunia knew, and fixing the hole in his shoes so they would last longer, but no one had seen him do those things, and he was glad that they hadn’t, because he was whipped with Vernon’s belt when they saw him conjure a glass of water. They then had locked him in his cupboard without being fed (minus the occasional cracker from Petunia when she felt bad) for well over a week. At the time he hadn’t known what he had done, after all, he had only wanted a drink after tending the garden all day and one had come to him, had that been so bad? Apparently it had, so Harry quickly learned not to do anymore of the ‘freakish things’ again, but it hadn’t always worked. Like with the sweater, his hair, the roof, and the glass at the Zoo.

 

Harry had noticed Dudley do things as well but he had never said anything. Dudley had once fixed a toy that he had broken right in front of Harry, and Harry had thought it perfectly normal. Harry had noticed that shortly after Petunia and Vernon had caught Harry conjure the glass of water, Dudley had started acting weird. Dudley stopped picking on Harry when they were alone, but when around his gang or his parents Dudley made up for his kindness by being twice as mean or bratty depending on the situation.

 

After Dudley’s eleventh birthday he became very jumpy, especially whenever his parents would call Harry ‘freak’, it had gotten so bad that he once left dinner before he cleared his plate. That had concerned Petunia about her precious ‘Duddykins’, but it had also concerned Harry, and piqued his interest. Shortly after he had returned from Diagon he noticed that Hedwig had ruffled feathers, like she had been in flight, but he played ignorance.

 

 ** _“Hmmm, poor hatchling,”_** said a voice that had a distinctly female tone, **_“he lookss ssso sssad,”_**

 

Harry looked up and came almost face to face with a large brown adder. The adder’s black forked tongue darted out, **_“I wonder what hasss him sso sssad,”_** Harry blinked away the tears, looking questionably at the female snake.

 

 ** _“Well then why don’t you jusst asssk me?”_** He asked the snake looking into her red silted eyes.

 

 ** _“A Ssspeaker! I had heard there wass a nesst nearby with Ssspeakerss but I thought it was merely a tall tale,”_** the snake danced as she rose further.

 

 ** _“You mussst mean my sssissstersss,”_** Harry said to the snake.

 

 ** _“Maybe, but alsso you,”_** the snake hissed as she slithered up onto the tree next to Harry. **_“Ssso Sspeaker, why are you sssso ssad?”_**

 

 ** _“It’sss a long sssstory,”_** Harry said simply. The snake curled closer to Harry.

 

 ** _“I like sssstoriesss,”_** she hissed.

 

-x-

 

Dudley followed his Aunt dutifully through the _Flemings Furnishings_. His Aunt made a sharp turn when they came to a sign that Dudley barely had time to read before he was dragged past it. They had made winding turns past oddly shaped chests, and walked through a maze of beds, desks, and chairs before they finally reached a deep cherry desk in the back where a woman with bright blue winged spectacles on a chain, and emerald robes sat reading a book. She looked up when she heard footsteps approaching and stood up almost immediately.

 

“Lady Parkinson! Had I known you’d be coming I would have been up front to meet you!” She spoke over enthusiastically with red painted lips. Dudley thought she looked slightly foreboding. Her blonde hair was in a tight bun and she looked over her glasses with beady eyes. Dudley’s familiar Belladonna, newly named over lunch, meowed.

 

“Well to be truthful, I hadn’t known I was coming either,” Dudley’s Aunt said with a forced kind of smile. Dudley could guess there was bad blood here and shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “Is Maggi here?”

 

“Unfortunately my _niece_ has just stepped out for lunch,” she forced out, “Took that _Half-Blood_ menace with her,” Aunt Jasmine’s lips pursed and she clenched her fists.

 

“Oh,” Jasmine gritted out.

 

“Don’t know what that girl sees in her!” She admonished with a huff. “Don’t know why she couldn’t’ve found a nice Pureblood girl, but enough of my ramblings, now what are you here for?” She said in an overly sweet voice.

 

“I am here to get furniture for my Nephew Dudley, if you would please,” she smiled but her eyes were icy.

 

“Oh, yes, yes!” The witch said turning and grabbing parchment and a quill. “Where should we get started?”

 

“Well, bedframes, we are furnishing a bedroom after all,” Jasmine said with a raised brow. “All furniture at the manor is cherry, so keep that in mind,”

 

“Right, right.”

 

 -x-

 

When Draco woke he found Blaise preening himself in a handheld mirror. He groaned. Blaise always took the longest in the bathroom no matter what he said. Blaise had become increasingly worse with his bathroom habits after a certain Weasel caught his eye in the middle of first year. Draco, no matter how much he prided himself on his looks, would not subject himself to the horrors of Blaise’s morning ritual. With one last longing glance at the attached bathroom Blaise was currently making his way to, he slid out of room.

 

When he got to the commons he was glad he had the sense to change into something other than his silk pajamas because there were Slytherins milling about, he found his sister wearing a light blue cloak and her _Weird Sisters_ shirt, he caught her eye and she excused herself from Higgs.

 

“About time you woke up. It’s almost noon,” Alhena laughed and at the surprised face she received, added, “The second floor was flooded. Class was canceled today,”

 

Draco, relieved, went back to his dorm, loosening his tie as he walked. He took his cloak off and placed it on his bed with his tie and went back to his trunk. He pulled out an emerald jumper and pulled it over his head. He thought maybe he’d go bother Granger, Weasel, and Potter, or maybe he’d join Ascella were she was no doubt mulling around in the library, or possibly write a letter home, not that he really needed too, but Cas and Pol would be expecting one, so he’d write a letter anyway. He decided he would join his cousin in the library to write his letters home.  He grabbed a roll of parchment, his favorite quill, and a pot of green ink, before walking out of the dungeons and towards the library.

 

Ascella, as always, had her nose buried in a book. Her mahogany hair was tied in a braid to her mid back and she was wearing headphones. Draco wondered what she was listening to, probably the Beatles. She was wearing a union jack tee shirt, faded and ripped muggle jeans, and black Converse sneakers. She suddenly stopped what she was doing and announced;

 

“The twins are up to something,”

 

Her eyes were looking ahead not seeing. She shook her head and looked up at Draco, pulling her headphones down to around her neck. The tell-tail melody of _Hey Jude_ came from her speakers. Draco had been right; she was listening to the Beatles.

 

“What’s up Draco?” She asked with a sideways smile, her scars caught the light and Draco remembered when her skin was pale and creamy like his. He knew she got them in primary school protecting Corvus and Lyra, but that’s all he knew, his cousins did not like talking about their primary school days.

 

Draco knew they were werewolves—born not bitten—so they could change form at all times, however dangerous on the full moon. Alhena had said something about Werewolves not harming other animals, but he hadn’t been paying attention, so the details were fuzzy. Alhena had also said something about Animagi, but again, he hadn’t been paying attention.

 

“Writing a letter home, mind if I sit with you?”  Ascella shook her head and put her headphones back on. Draco pulled out a seat across from her and began composing his letter.

 

_Dear Cas, Pol, Father, and Père,_

_As expected, Rose, Dorea, and Astoria were sorted into Slytherin, Eileen however was sorted into Gryffindor, a rather surprising turn of events, don’t you think? If I had thought anyone to be Gryffindor, it would be Dorea, but the Sorting Hat knows best._

_Apparently the second floor was flooded, so class was canceled, therefore there is not much to report. I believe classes will resume tomorrow as scheduled, so I can inform you of our moronic new DADA teacher Lockheart. That blubbering idiot. I hate him more than Herbology, and that’s saying something! I_ ** abhor ** _Herbology! I can handle theory but I detest practical! Plus Sprout has it out for me!_

_I read that tryouts for the house Quidditch team will be on Wednesday after class. I plan to try for Seeker or Chaser. You know that Keeping isn’t in my forte. Stop laughing Père! It’s not funny. Okay it is, a little, but still! If I make the team, do you plan to come to my first game?_

_I’ve ended up rooming with Blaise again. As much as I care for the boy, he really gets on my nerves. Merlin has he awful taste. A Weasley! I try and I try, but that boy is stubborn, he won’t change his mind about Weasel. Merlin it’s getting to be unbearable, he’s almost always in the bathroom preening like Alhena when she has a date. Not that that’s happened often. Or at all.  Father doesn’t allow it. By the by, Alhena wants Father to know that she’s not speaking to him until he lets her go out with Higgs. I think she’s being unreasonable, I mean, Terrence isn’t all that attractive and she’s a Malfoy_ and _a Black, she can do better! At least she’s not after Flint, and for that I thank Merlin._

_Ascella (who is sitting next to me as I write) says hello, and wishes you all well. She also says that Corvus and Lyra also send their regards. Alhena sends her love, but still is not talking to Father._

_Yours, Draco_

 

With his letter done, he kissed Ascella’s cheek and went to the Owlery to look for his owl Rastaban, which he defiantly did _not_ name after himself.

 

 -x-

 

James had been ready to leave for hours when four finally arrived. He had been calculating how many presents he owed Harry and the girls when Severus walked in. The first thing he had noticed about his husband was how deep the circles under his eyes were and how sickly pale the man was. Severus looked quite literally like hell. He had lost at least a stone since he had last seen him, and it was not for the better. Severus’ cheeks were sunken and swallow, and his skin had taken a yellow hue. His back was hunched, and his hair was greasy. Severus had reverted to the abused put-upon boy of their youth. James wondered how many sleepless nights Severus had suffered alone.

 

James ached to heal his husband, to bring the smile back to his face, and to make sure he wore colour again. He couldn’t really say he had missed Severus or the children, because to him, it was still 1981. Of course he had heard, and listened to conversation, but he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, connect it to time passing. He had refused to believe that Severus had given birth to the girls, or that Harry had turned twelve, and he especially refused to believe that Sirius had been imprisoned.

 

When he had awoken he had believed it to be November 1st 1981, not September 2nd 1992\. He had wanted to see Sev and Harry. He had wanted to kiss Sev’s pregnant belly, and joke with Padfoot to get a rouse out of Moony and Sev. He wanted to make faces at Corvus and Lyra, who would be three months old on the 6th. He wanted to tickle little Ascella and poke Alhena on the nose. He wanted to watch Harry and Draco babble like the toddlers they were. But instead he was hounded with questions from Healers. He had been told how he had missed twelve years of his children and husband’s lives, and how his best mate was in jail for Pettigrew, missing his children and husband. He had been told that his wife Lily was dead. He had been shocked, in what reality was Lily his wife? Lily was a close friend, but not his wife. Lily was Sev’s best friend and Harry’s godmother. Lily had so much to look forward to; she had been dating a nice muggle-born lad who had been in the year ahead of them. They had been thinking of getting married.

 

“James? Are you ready to go?” Severus asked lightly.

 

“Yes, love,” James smiled softly as he took Severus’ hand in his and kissed it lightly.

 

-x-

 

Dudley had Flooed with Aunt Jasmine to a little Wizarding village named Hogsmeade that was near Hogwarts. It was quaint and Dudley liked Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks. He had stayed with Rosmerta while Aunt Jasmine made a stop at a few of the stores including Honeydukes. Dudley soon learned that Wizarding candy was far superior to muggle candy.

 

Aunt Jasmine said goodbye to Madam Rosmerta and took Dudley to a magical ferry that would take them to Hogwarts grounds where Jasmine said a man named Filch would be waiting to let them in. When Dudley had asked about the ferry, Jasmine explained that after riding the Hogwarts express first year would ride boats to the Castle and that she was trying her best to recreate that experience as best she could.

 

Dudley realized that his Aunt had done more things that truly showed she cared for him in the one day they spent together, than his parents had his whole childhood. Sure he was spoilt, but his parents never truly cared for him. His mother never sat and talked to him, asked him about school, his friends or anything really, and his father never offered to play ball with him, or show him how to fish, or anything that fathers and sons did on the telly. Without noticing he had begun to cry, really cry, not the fake tears he used on his parents to make sure they cared, but real actual tears. He was glad Aunt Jasmine had been looking out on the water when the tears had started, he didn’t want to be weak in front of her. He wiped the tears and put on a smile when Jasmine asked if he was okay.

 

Dudley was led through the castle and introduced to Dumbledore. He had never seen such a man before and Dudley was unsure how to feel about him. Dumbledore explained that he was the Headmaster of Hogwarts and that he would be giving a speech tonight during dinner to announce that he would be sorted and that Dudley would be joining the second years due to his private tutoring. Dudley was told that he would eat with his Aunt and Cousins at a guest table before he would be sorted. Dumbledore explained the four houses, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. Aunt Jasmine admitted she was a Ravenclaw, her husband was a Slytherin, and that Aunt Lily was a Gryffindor. Dudley asked what houses his Cousins were in he was told that Pansy was a Second year Slytherin, and that Rose was sorted into Slytherin the day before. He hadn’t noticed that Jasmine hadn’t said anything about Harry’s house.


	8. Snakely Sortings

**Chapter 8  
Snakely Sortings**

 

Percy was off.

 

Ron, however oblivious, could tell there was something wrong with his prefect brother. Something had been worrying his parents and older brothers with Percy’s behaviour the last few weeks of summer hols. Ron had lost count of how many _‘you okay Perce?’_ s he had heard in the days leading up to September first.

 

The twins could fluff Percy up without even opening their mouths. It seemed Percy was more than a little irritable these days. Ron knew he wasn’t the smartest Wizard, but he knew well enough not to ruffle an irritable Percy’s feathers. The twins had either not known this, or more likely, they knew and just blatantly ignored this unstated rule and bothered Percy anyway.

 

Ron wondered just how many points Percy will have taken off by the end of the week. Ron groaned and hit his head on the table. They’ll never win the House cup at this rate. Last year they had won by the skin of their pants, and that was only because they had saved the school from Quirrel. He was not looking forward to repeating that misadventure; _one_ near death experience was more than enough for him, thank you very much!  

 

When he had reluctantly woken this morning he had found Harry missing from his bed, he decided maybe Harry had headed off to breakfast early or had gone off to find Snape or his sisters to get to know them. At first when Snape had ousted himself as Harry’s Bearer, Ron had thought the Potions Master had gone round the bend, but after thinking on it, he realised that it did make sense in a twisted kind of way.

 

James Potter had brown hair, and Lily Evens was a redhead, yet Harry had a head full of midnight locks. His hair was messy in a way that could only be Potter, so James was defiantly Harry’s dad, but Lily Evans never had a claim to Harry besides his eye colour. Ron had figured that Harry did look fairly similar to Snape. Harry’s hair colour defiantly had come from Snape, he was sure of that. Harry’s nose also resembled a straighter less crooked version of Snape’s nose.

 

Ron’s stomach growled. He looked up at Hermoine, who had her nose shoved in a book entitled “ _Wizard Reproduction 101_ ”.

 

“How interesting!” Hermoine mused, not looking up from the large tome in her hands. “Did you know that Wizards can carry children! And that two Witches can have a baby together!”

 

“Yes.” He groaned. He had had this talk with his parents earlier, and he _really_ didn’t want to have it again with Hermione. His stomach growled yet again. “Hermione, can we wrap this up please, I’m starving!” Hermione rolled her eyes but stood anyway. “Thank you!”

 

Ron was glad to finally be leaving the Library. When Hermione had learned class was cancelled she decided that studying in the library was a must, and she had dragged Ron with her, after all he _still_ hadn’t read his course books! They had learned from McGonagall that Harry had a family emergency and that he and his sisters had left the castle along with Snape, and so when Ron saw a familiar mop of unruly black hair at the door to the Great Hall he was relieved. He didn’t know how much longer he could fair Hermione alone. Sure he loved the muggleborn witch like a sister but she could get to be out of hand at times, especially when books were involved.

 

“Harry!” Ron cried.

Harry looked up from where he was chatting with his sisters and waved them over. As Ron and Hermione neared, they picked up parts of the siblings conversation. It seemed that the two first years were trying to convince Harry into doing something by the amount of pleases coming out of their mouths. Harry was holding strong but relented anyway.

 

“… Just don’t get caught!”

 

“Thanks Harry!” the two chorused hugging their brother. “Best big brother ever!”

 

Harry obviously wasn’t used to being hugged but he smiled so Ron guessed he was okay with it. The two scampered off to Godric-knows-were.

 

“What was that about mate?” Ron asked taking the vacated place by Harry.

 

“They wanted to borrow the cloak,” Harry said.

 

Hermione’s brow furrowed, “What for?”

 

Harry smirked “I would tell you but I was sworn to secrecy,”

 

-x-

 

Dudley was introduced to his Aunts four children, Pansy, Rose, Lily, and Lionel, her husband Philip and her mother-in-law Antoinette.

 

Pansy looked very similar to her mother, she had a heart shaped face, fair skin, and her mother’s eyes, but her hair was dark like her fathers and cut into a bob hairstyle. Pansy was his age and had been sorted into Slytherin the year before. She had given him a once over before announcing that he’d better not be a Hufflepuff and gave him a hug.

 

Rose had the blue eyes of her father with her mother’s auburn hair in coils to her mid-back. She was a First Year, freshly sorted the day before. Rose demanded he share his Bertie Botts, only to be scolded by her mother. She then retracted her statement and inserted the word please.

 

Lily, he learned was named after his other Aunt and took after her as well, she had wavy strawberry hair and a smattering of freckles on her pale dimpled cheeks. Lily had asked softly to see his wand. Once Dudley had produced it, she proceeded to recite wandlore until Dudley’s Aunt pleaded with her to stop.

 

The youngest and only boy, Lionel, had blond hair and hazel eyes with the strong chin of his father. Lionel, he quickly learned, was very clumsy. He had tripped twice with in the first thirty minutes in Headmaster Dumbledore’s office. Lionel also seemed to be excitable and was very nearly shaking out of his own skin with the news of another male in the family.

 

His Uncle Philip was so inherently different from his own father. Where Philip was tall and handsome, his father was short and portly. Where his father was crass and mean, Philip was kind and sympathetic. Dudley took an instant like to the man; this was what a father was supposed to be.

 

Dudley was at first a little weary of Madam Parkinson, his Aunt’s mother-in-law. She was a pale woman with equally pale blonde hair elegantly pulled into a bun and held with a diamond incrusted dragonfly clip. Her blue eyes had looked him over critically while he had shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He had thought she was sure to snub him for not being good enough, but instead a motherly smile had taken her face and she announced that he was to call her Mamie.

 

It was then, after he had been introduced to everyone, that a witch he had been told was Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, had taken them to the Great Hall, where they were shown to a small round table that was placed in front of the Head Table. Dudley was amazed at the immensity of the Great Hall, but it seemed only he and the younger Parkinson siblings were amazed. Dudley eyes scanned the four great tables; he guessed that was where the students sat.

 

In the middle of the round table was a grubby hat that Dudley knew his mother would never let anywhere near their home at #4. He had no inkling what the hat meant but it seemed well.

 

“Ugh!” Lionel exclaimed, “What is that dirty hat doing on the table! If you ask me it needs a good washing!”

 

“Heh, heh, I’ll keep that in mind,” the seam at the brim of the hat tore open and the hat spoke.

 

_The. Hat. Spoke._

 

“Ahh!” Lionel jumped backwards.

 

 Aunt Jasmine put a hand to her mouth to hide a laugh, but Pansy, Rose, and Lily weren’t as courteous. Dudley was torn between laughing and screaming and decided on the former.

 

“Traitor!” Lionel called with a pout.

 

Dudley continued to laugh as the students trickled in.

 

-x-

 

The first thing Harry noticed when he walked into the Great Hall was that there was an extra table and that the two Parkinson sisters were sitting there and not at the Slytherin table. The two Parkinson’s were sitting with what looked like their parents, grandmother, siblings, and… _Dudley?_

 

What was Dudley doing there?

 

Harry didn’t know what to make of Dudley’s presence at Hogwarts. Had something happened to Petunia and Vernon? Harry knew his Parents and the Minister had been talking about bringing the Dursley’s into custody after it had been discovered he was abused, but had they really done it that fast?

 

He felt the cool scales of Wendelin’s belly slither up his arm. He felt her tongue dart out and taste the air, apparently satisfied with her findings she slithered further up his arm and wound loosely around his bicep, head poking out of his robe.

 

Wendelin was the snake that had comforted him when he had run from Ivy Cottage. After he had finished telling her what was upsetting him he had felt better, and asked her if she had an owner, she had replied in the negative and offered to be Harry’s Familiar. While he had Hedwig, he had also always wanted a snake and had thus accepted her offer, he then looked through his History of Magic Book for a name.

 

“Harry mate, are you going to sit down?” Ron asked.

 

Harry shook himself out of his thoughts and sat down next to Hermione. “Sorry, it’s just, I saw Dudley,”

 

“Your Cousin?” Hermione had asked, “Well, I guess not your Cousin, but you know what I mean. I thought he was Muggle,”

 

“He is, or at least I think he is,”

 

“Hello students, I have some introductions to make,” Dumbledore said after all the students had filed in, “Firstly I must introduce Professor Snape’s spouce, James Potter,” James rose from his spot next to Severus and bowed, “Mr. Potter has just woken from a dark petrification curse cast by Voldemort,” many visibly flinched from the use of Voldemort’s name. Harry didn’t. “You are to treat Mr. Potter with respect, he will be able to give and take points were he sees fit, should he catch any rule breakers, both he and Professor Snape are not to show favouritism to any of their three children.” Murmurs broke out and Professor Dumbledore rose his hand to silence the hall. “I also must introduce a transfer student, Dudley Dursley. Mr. Dursley is a muggleborn who was privately tutored by Remus Lupin-Black. We will be sorting Mr. Dursley momentarily,”

 

“Heh, Heh, Sorry I didn’t have time to come up with a song,” The Sorting Hat chuckled as he was levitated up and onto Dudley’s head.

 

 _“So you’ve hid being a Wizard from your parents for your whole life…”_ The Hat said in Dudley’s head. “…Better be… SLYTHERIN!” The Hat announced to the hall.


	9. A Man with a Thirst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Debler is Introduced. Ginny is Given TMR's Diary. Percy is Anxious.

**Chapter 9  
A Man with a Thirst **

Anthony Debler was a thickset man with a round face and beady yellow eyes. Debler despised his job, but he needed the money to support his drinking problem. He couldn’t wait to get away from the sodding imbeciles that Wizard Services demanded he deal with, and crawl back into his bottle of Ogden’s.

Wizard Services had not been his first choice, but he hadn’t the NEWTS to be an Auror and the pay was nice enough. At the time he thought it to be a suitable steppingstone into the ministry and a short-term position just to get by, not the twenty year long career it had become. He couldn’t believe how naïve he had been when he applied for the job in the seventies.

Now forty and balding, he realised that he had been so bloody stupid. Thinking that you could do some good and change the world for the better, while making decent cash, was such a childish thought and a load of crap. Wizard Services work was not as glamorous as it had appeared in the fuzzy thralls of youth. The job was mostly paperwork and horrid check-ins with screaming brats and uppity do-gooders.

He should have listened to his father and just gone into the family business, Soliciting, but he had been in his twenties and had been rebellious and oh- _so_ -stupid. The only good thing about his job in Wizard Services was his wife, Darleen.

Darleen, when he had started in seventy-two, had been a petite witch who was a secretary under his boss of the time. He had asked her on a date and they were bonded a year later. The years had not been kind to Darleen, but they hadn’t been kind to him either. They had a daughter, Shirley, who had died in infancy and to cope with the pain he had turned to the bottle and Darleen became introverted.

The catatonic Darleen he lived with now was not the woman he married, but she was the woman he loved, husk of her former self or not.

A sharp rap on the cubical wall had Debler glaring. It was met by the shaper, more menacing glare of Andromeda Tonks. Tonks, though his age, had made it further in Wizard Services than he had, partly because she cared, and actually did her work, and partly because, though disowned, her ancestry still held weight.

“What do you want?” Debler sneered, but it held no value to the former Black, she had seen better.

“You’re under Inquiry, Debler, and if I were you, I’d act kinder to your superiors,” Tonks’ dark eyes flared as she scowled. Debler glared her down as she walk away from his cubical. Debler wasn’t sure if it was an omen or a blessing in disguise.

Sure, even though an Inquiry was a bad thing, he was tired of his job, and there would be no love lost if he lost it.

He wondered what he had done to warrant an Inquiry, and for his boss to inform him herself, not through a memo as customary for these types of infractions. Whatever he had done, the request for review had come from high up. In Lameman’s terms, he was screwed.

-x-

The students of Hogwarts woke in kind on the morning of September third, with hair in various colours of the rainbow. Surprisingly enough the Weasley twins were indeed _not_ involved in _this_ prank, both were sporting a particularly garish shade of neon green, but a completely different set of twins were involved.

Dorea Lily and Eileen Jasmine Potter walked into the Great Hall with their normal hair colour and the Weasley twins bowing at their feet.

“Oh-teach-us—”

“—Oh-great-ones!”

The Black twins, Lyra and Corvus, came in behind them. Lyra’s nose was stuck in the Marauder’s Prank Diary. She was obviously searching for something, if the speed at which her eyes sped across the page was anything to go by. Suddenly she gasped.

“Oh of course!” She laughed, “Page 185,” her blue-grey eyes full of mischief, “Good choice,”

“We should say the same,” Dorea laughed as she caught sight of the caretaker, Filch, who not only had bright fuchsia hair, but was also covered in glitter. Mrs. Norris, Filch’s cat, looked no better with unnatural orange fur and large glitter splotches all over her body and tail.

“We had some help,” Lyra smirked an awfully Black smirk.

The six pranksters walked to the Gryffindor table. Dorea, despite being Slytherin, sat at the Gryffindor table.

The Potter sisters looked to the head table, their parents hadn’t shown up yet much to their displeasure, they had been looking forward to their father James’ reaction to their Prank. The doors to the Great Hall opened again and the three sets of twins watched as the so-called Golden Trio walked in. Harry looked reminiscent of Christmas, with his green eyes and Gryffindor red hair. Hermione was desperately trying to hide her true-blue hair underneath a red and gold bandana. She wasn’t the only one trying to hide; the incredibly vain Zabini had his yellow hair hidden under a black knit hat. But, of the three, Ron’s appearance took the cake. He had pink hair and it contrasted horribly with his freckles making him look sick. Fred and George whistled at the sight of their brother, just to get a reaction out of the pre-teen.

Ron blushed and took a seat at the far end of the Gryffindor table, which still wasn’t that far from the prankers. Harry stormed right up to his sisters. “How’d you do it!?” he asked.

“A Marauder never reveals his secrets—” Eileen started but was cut off by a deep male voice.

“—Unless it leads to nefarious means,”

“Dad!” the three Potter children said at once.

 “Uncle Prongs!” Ascella exclaimed, having walked in before her younger siblings.

“Ascella, Godric, you’ve grown,” James let out a gasp of air.

Ascella laughed, “Well, a lot happens in eleven years,”

“Don’t I know it,” James said tousling Harry’s hair. He still couldn’t believe he had missed so much.

-x-

Ginny Weasley’s first class of the day was Potions with Hufflepuff. Professor Snape-Potter had given a lecture on the year’s curriculum before starting them on a potion that cured Boils. All six of Ginny’s older brothers had made that potion their first lesson, even Bill, from what she had been told.

Ginny, being the youngest of the Weasley clan, had the largest shoes to fill. Bill had been Head Boy. Charlie was a Quidditch Captain. Percy was, and still is, a Prefect. Fred and George were pranksters and Quidditch stars. Ron had helped Harry Potter save the school from a dark lord the year before. What would she do?

She was now on her way to Defence Against the Dark Arts, with Lockhart. Mum was always saying how wonderful he was, but her older brothers claimed him, and his books, as a load of rubbish. Ginny, after reading her course books, had to agree.

Defence was with Ravenclaw, and that meant she would see Luna. Luna lived with her father Xeno in Ottery Saint Catchpole, near where Ginny and her family lived. Ginny had often spent time with the Lovegood’s, and enjoyed their eccentric presence. She and Luna would play in the little pond near the Burrow and look for fantastic creatures. They hadn’t found much, only a frog that she named Quaffle and a wayward Kneezle that Luna named Typhon, but they hadn’t lost hope of finding the illusive Crumple-Horned Snorkack, or the mysterious Blibbering Humdinger.

“Ginny,” Luna greeted in her normal far-off way, “I am always amazed at your ability to keep away the Wrackspurts,”

Ginny turned around to face the blonde. She was wearing, in addition to her uniform, mismatched multi-coloured knee socks, her Butterbeer cork necklace, green frog earrings that croaked every once in a while, and kitten patterned canvas shoes.

“Hi Luna,” Ginny greeted subconsciously straightening her second-hand skirt, and fluttering with her long red hair.  “How was your first class?”

“Charms with Slytherin,” Luna tilted her head, “Very interesting, Cara Murdock managed to turn her feather purple, while her cousin, Roland Feldman, made his levitate around her nose on the third try, she wasn’t very happy. Rose Parkinson was the first to get her feather a meter up in the air, how about you?”

“Me? Well, I had Potions with Hufflepuff, Parsons and Torban’s potion spilt on Vane and she grew boils, Snape sent her to the Hospital wing and asked Eileen, his daughter, to help them fix it. He did take points off, but not that many, only one from each House.” Said Ginny as she and Luna sat down at a table together.

Gilderoy Lockhart walked in fifteen minutes after class had started. He was red-cheeked and sweaty, his hair was damp, and he was wearing the most ridiculous set of robes Ginny had ever seen.

“Sorry, I was out helping Sprout with mending the Whomping Willow, a hippogriff got into a tangle with its branches don’t you know,” Lockhart apologised with a smile showing off his teeth, which, in Ginny’s opinion were too white. Luna had mumbled something about Lockhart being infested with thousends of Wrackspurts, and Ginny believed it.

Lockhart went on to pass out a test, one that was more about him, than about the actual curriculum. No one in the class got all of the questions right. Lockhart was a bit perturbed by this but moved on quickly on to a lecture on Yeti, only to be corrected numerous times by Luna. By the end of class Lockhard was wan.

The bell rang for lunch and Lockhart called for Ginny to stay behind. She promised to catch up with Luna and the Potter’s after Lockhart let her go.

Lockhart was sitting on the edge of his desk holding a little black book. He smiled kindly and handed it to her. Ginny was confused, but Lockhart simply explained that every young girl should have a diary, and that she was no exception, before sending her off on her merry way. She thought it odd but shrugged it off. He was a Professor, even if he wasn’t a good one.

-x-

Percy could barely muddle through McGonagall’s lesson. He was too tired to focus and his mind was still addled with the fact that he was pregnant. He had learned, just the day before, that he was pregnant and due in March. After much talking, he and Oliver decided that they would keep the baby, and raise it with or without the support of their parents. His knee was bouncing, and he was biting his lip, both were nervous habits he had. Under the table Oliver’s hand slid over his knee.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Oliver smile. It didn’t do much to help their situation, but it did help Percy calm down. Hesitantly Percy smiled back and placed his hand on top of Oliver’s. Eventually the bell for lunch rang and Oliver and Percy gathered their things.

Percy, at the moment, wasn’t hungry and much rather talk with Oliver about informing their parents and voiced as much. So, when they neared the Great Hall, he and Oliver swung into a disused classroom and placed privacy charms on the door.

They discussed owling a letter, but Percy thought it too impersonal. Percy suggested a meeting at the Three Broomsticks, but Oliver brought up the point that the first Hogsmeade Weekend wasn’t until well after Halloween. Floo-calls again were considered too impersonal, so the two decided asking Dumbledore to request their parents come to the school so they could tell them.

“Do you think he’ll let us?”

“It’s worth a shot,”

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm posting this on FanFiction as well. Comments are appreciated!   
> -Carrie


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